1048

1800 Washington Hero of Freedom Medal. Baker-79B. Bronze. AU, nearly as made. Overstruck on 1797 Geo

Currency:USD Category:Coins & Paper Money Start Price:100.00 USD Estimated At:NA
1800 Washington Hero of Freedom Medal. Baker-79B. Bronze. AU, nearly as made. Overstruck on 1797 Geo

Lot: 1048
Title: 1800 Washington Hero of Freedom Medal. Baker-79B. Bronze. AU, nearly as made. Overstruck on 1797 George III Cartwheel Twopence.
Header: Bronze 1800 Hero of Freedom Medal Rarity
Overstruck on George III Twopence
Description: Dies as illustrated, English, possibly John Westwood. Coin Turn. 38 mm. The modestly prooflike fields of this chestnut-brown specimen offer lively blue iridescence in a bold light source. Typical strike for this medal, with some softness in Washington’s hair and at the center of the reverse legends where the metal of the host coin failed to flow. Overstruck on a 1797 George III cartwheel twopence, with the undertype plainly visible at the rims, including the full date. The Rulau-Fuld rewrite of Baker (1985) notes “one known specimen is struck over an English 1797 cartwheel twopence.” A few more have surfaced since then, but not many. The present piece is one of about a dozen examples known with the twopence undertype, perhaps even the finest known, and is noticeably finer overall than the piece offered by Stack’s Bowers (March, 2017:55), and the Norweb coin. No doubt the undertype was plentiful enough in commerce in 1800 that it made an ideal source for planchets for the medal undertaking. The present piece exhibits much of the peripheral legends including most of GEORGIVS III, BRIT, a full date, and partial edge reeding! An attractive, mark-free example of a classic rarity is making its way into the Washingtoniana marketplace courtesy of this specimen, and we hope you are prepared to go toe-to-toe for stewardship honors.
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